Remembering Kaifi
18 May 2012 3:33 AM GMT
Delhi got a taste of lyrical magic with Kaifi Aur Main on 12 May. Sponsored by Raheja Developers — the evening was a treat to the creative senses on stage conjured by Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar. The duo remembered legendary poet and film lyricist Kaifi Azmi on his 10th death anniversary.
Kaifi Aur Main is a celebration of Kaifi Azmi's life and works seen through the eyes of his wife, noted actress, Shaukat Kaifi. Delhiites were treated to a theatrical collage based on the memoirs of Kaifi and Shaukat.
Scripted by Javed Akhtar, the narrative traces Kaifi's journey from his childhood in Mijwan, his unusual romance with Shaukat culminating in a marriage that lasted 55 years, life in Mumbai in the 50s, the Progressive Writer's Movement, Kaifi's social and cultural activism, his fight against life-threatening illness and their relentless fight to make Mijwan a place of progress. Kaifi Aur Main is also a celebration of Azmi's poetry and his unparalleled contribution to Indian cinema.
The beauty of the evening was wrapped up in the personal references that added the unique touch to the much loved figure of Kaifi and Shaukat.
History got strengthened with the magical touch of memory as a daughter and a son-in-law narrated their stories to the audience.
The narrative is interwoven with Shabana Azmi's memories of her mother Shaukat Kaifi, whose impressions make the narrative a heart-warming account that rises above the personal to document the politics of an era. Kaifi Aur Main is interspersed with renditions of Kaifi's poems and songs by the young singer Jaswinder Singh and supported by a live orchestra.
Kaifi Aur Main has come a long way since its premier in Mumbai in 2006 on the fourth death anniversary of Kaifi Azmi. This theatrical collage has received standing ovations and rave reviews in India and across the world. In 2006, 14 shows of this production were staged in US-Canada-UK in cities like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, London and others. It has also been staged in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Dubai.
Kaifi Aur Main is a celebration of Kaifi Azmi's life and works seen through the eyes of his wife, noted actress, Shaukat Kaifi. Delhiites were treated to a theatrical collage based on the memoirs of Kaifi and Shaukat.
Scripted by Javed Akhtar, the narrative traces Kaifi's journey from his childhood in Mijwan, his unusual romance with Shaukat culminating in a marriage that lasted 55 years, life in Mumbai in the 50s, the Progressive Writer's Movement, Kaifi's social and cultural activism, his fight against life-threatening illness and their relentless fight to make Mijwan a place of progress. Kaifi Aur Main is also a celebration of Azmi's poetry and his unparalleled contribution to Indian cinema.
The beauty of the evening was wrapped up in the personal references that added the unique touch to the much loved figure of Kaifi and Shaukat.
History got strengthened with the magical touch of memory as a daughter and a son-in-law narrated their stories to the audience.
The narrative is interwoven with Shabana Azmi's memories of her mother Shaukat Kaifi, whose impressions make the narrative a heart-warming account that rises above the personal to document the politics of an era. Kaifi Aur Main is interspersed with renditions of Kaifi's poems and songs by the young singer Jaswinder Singh and supported by a live orchestra.
Kaifi Aur Main has come a long way since its premier in Mumbai in 2006 on the fourth death anniversary of Kaifi Azmi. This theatrical collage has received standing ovations and rave reviews in India and across the world. In 2006, 14 shows of this production were staged in US-Canada-UK in cities like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, London and others. It has also been staged in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Dubai.
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